Before reading further, be sure to check out part 1 of this article, which outlines my first 15 days on the Whole30 plan.
So, days 15 to 30…the home stretch! Honestly, the longer I was on this plan the easier it was to follow. While I often find my natural tendency is to avoid rules, I am certainly did my best to stick to them. Was I “perfect?” Eh, maybe not! But I’d give myself a 95% adherence rating over the past month. Below I have outlined some more of my meal ideas, recipes, eating out suggestions, and a summary of my health outcomes over the past month.
Meal Ideas:
- Breakfast:
- Carrot and beet cakes with scrambled eggs
- Egg muffins with baked sweet potato wedges
- Smoothie with canned coconut milk (365 brand), 1/2 frozen banana, 1 handful baby spinach, 1tbsp chia seeds, 1/4 avocado, ice.
- Lunch/Dinner:
- Chicken stir fry with mixed veggies using coconut aminos
- Butternut squash soup (apple, butternut squash, onion, carrots, chicken bone broth)
- Baked eggplant “lasagna” layered with ground beef, sauteed veggies and mushrooms, marinara sauce, italian seasoning and nutritional yeast
- Snacks:
- Banana slices topped with cinnamon and almond butter
- Carrot sticks dipped with guacamole
- Jicama sticks dipped with sunflower butter
- Go Raw salad mix (dried veggies with ranch flavoring)
- Pumpkin pie pudding (pumpkin puree, coconut milk, pumpkin pie spices, pecans- pureed)
Eating Out:
- Red Star– steak salad (no cheese)
- Pitango Cafe & Bakery- almond milk latte with cinnamon
- Alma Cocina Latina– ceviche
- Barracuda’s Tavern– Key West Shrimp salad
- Teavolve– vegetable omelet
- Cava Mezze– roasted vegetables, Greet green’s salad (no cheese), lamb chops
- Iron Rooster– Grilled apple salad (no cheese or “spicy” almonds) add chicken
Health Outcomes:
- I lost 3lbs in 1 month without trying to lose weight. I did not track my calories or keep count of portions.
- My eczema/dermatitis (on my arms, legs, and torso) completely cleared up!
- My acne on my face cleared up!
- I had less bloating and stomach pain after eating
- Additionally, I was able to identify additional food sensitivity issues due to the simplicity of the diet. I realized I still reacted to foods that contained sesame seeds.
In conclusion, this was a worthwhile experience…but I’m ready to start reintroducing some of the eliminated foods! The Whole30 plan encourages mindfully bringing one food at a time back into the diet to see how your body feels with each new addition. By the end of the reintroduction process I will have a balanced and less restrictive food list that will also help support my overall health goals. I dare you…try out this plan and see how it goes! Explore how you feel and learn more about your relationship with food. It’s just 30-days…what do you have to lose?